On Oaths and Dinner Guests

By now many of you know I’m again using Wednesdays to write about getting healthy and losing weight.

Some of you love that.

Others of you have told me you are growing a tad bit weary of the “gonna lose weight in the new year” push that happens each time we flip the old calendar page. So please know a few thoughts I have on this:

First, I want this Weight Loss Wednesday feature to encourage you no matter what mountain you are trying to conquer so I hope if weight and health are not issues for you, you’ll still read the Wednesday posts. Perhaps they will speak to one of your issues. (You know we all have issues, right? Why sometimes I think my issues have issues!!!)

And secondly, the Made to Crave movement started by God through my friend and our Proverbs 31 president Lysa TerKeurst that I have been a part of really isn’t about weight loss.

No ma’am.

Its about giving God the number one slot of attention in our lives and letting all the other pieces fall delightfully into their proper places.

As my friend Lindsey so beautifully put it to me one day, “Karen, what if it isn’t about the weight loss? What if it is all about seeking God with all our hearts and losing weight is just a by-product of us growing holy?”

I cannot get her statement out of my head!

So, girlfriends, let’s get holy together. And if some “gettin’ skinny” is required by any of us, we’ll see that beautiful by-product, okay?

I love the t-shirt I spotted on one of my speech students at our homeschool co-op recently . It read “Get holy. Or die trying”!

Well, for those of you trying to get both holy and healthy, how was your week?

Mine was very difficult, but you helped me so much!

Yes you!

I’d promised I’d weigh in right after I posted last week and then track my progress by stepping on the scale again today and telling you what resulted.

In the mean time, I came across this little verse, tucked away in the story in the Bible about John the Baptist.

It was a soap-opera-like set up.

King Herod’s big birthday bash. Lots of food, dancing and general rowdiness. The wishy-washy and indecisive King had already had John thrown in prison for some of his words of truth that stung the king because they messed with his sinful lifestyle.

When the daughter of Herodias (aka Mrs. Herod) danced for the king and pleased him, he promised her she could have anything she wanted.

Anything!

She wanted John the Baptist’s head on a platter.

YIKES!!!

Again, the back-and-forth King was in a quandary. He didn’t really care for John. However, he really didn’t want to kill him either for he feared the people thought he was a great prophet. Perhaps he thought a little uprising might occur.

Then, tucked away in Matthew 14 verse 9 is the little verse:

“The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted.”

Yep. Good ole’ fashioned peer pressure- New Testament style.

He followed through because of a promise he’d made and because of his dinner guests and the results were tragic. So tragic that the story goes on to say that when Jesus (John’s cousin) heard the tragic news, he jumped in a boat and took of all alone for a while.

Now, how in the world could this verse have helped me this week?

It helped because in it, I saw a positive twist. If Herod could follow through with evil because of a promise and some dining pals, could I follow through with good because of the same?

I’d made and “oath” that I’d check in with you today.

In a way, I consider you all my “dinner guests” as we try to eat healthy together.

So, whenever I wanted to eat too much or eat a nasty calorie-laden and nutritionally deficient  morsel of food, I thought of you and didn’t.

Whenever it was nearing bedtime and, although not really physically hungry, “Something sounded good”, I thought of you and said no.

When I wanted two servings cause it tasted so good, I pictured your faces and refused.

Well, dear dinner guests of mine, when I hopped on the scale this morning, I discovered the numbers went down.

By 5.8 pounds!!!!!!!

Now, remember, I’ve been super sick and on steroids for my lungs (which make you retain weight) I also quit the steroids last week so that may have been part of the big drop.

However, I am still too lung-damaged to exercise without coughing myself into a frenzy so that drop came with no workouts at all.

Thank you for allowing me to picture your sweet faces.

And speaking of picturing your faces, let me throw out an idea. Do you think it would be beneficial to have  Weight Loss Wednesdays Facebook page where we could hop on once a week, read the post and build community by commenting and connecting throughout the day?

Let me know when you comment on this post letting us know how your week went.

You can do it, sweet sisters.

We can do it….together!

Banquet-busting Blessings,

38 Comments

  1. I think a facebook page would be great. I just found this today, and think facebook would really get the word out to help a lot of people who need this.

  2. I just found your blog and I already love it. So much encouragement. I will be following every Wednesday now…………..Thanks

  3. I would love to follow you on facebook. I love the weekly encouragement. I do have weight issues but there are other issues as well. I LOVE reading how HE is changing our lives day by day, moment by moment. Thanks for the encouragement.

  4. I’ve missed coming over here on Wednesdays to get some encouragement about weight loss. But it did kinda hit me a little more stronger as I read your post today; what if it isn’t about weight loss but serving Him? Now I kinda like that. Weight loss hasn’t much been on my mind the last 9 months since I’m due the end of this month. But I’m so anxious to start a new routine on being fit and continuing to make it all about HIM. Thanks Karen. Please keep up the weekly encouragement.

  5. I think the facebook page is a great idea! I really enjoy the encouragement on here and the blog posts. As of yesterday morning, I am down 28 pounds (since Sept 4th) and feeling better than I have in many, many years.

  6. I love Weight Loss Wednesdays, and I would be happy to join a FB group.

    Even though I have been doing Weight Watchers since November I have never started exercising. I just avoided it. But this week I started walking on our treadmill, and I am so glad I finally gave in and did it.

  7. WOW! Congrats Karen. That is great progress. God honors our obedience – even if it is these ‘small things’ like weight loss (others may think it is small, but big for me! lol).

    I would personally prefer to read your blog instead of joining a FB page. Privacy issues and FB is not available to me at the office. So would most likely not be able to participate if on FB. Sorry!

    Congrats again. Big Hugs.

  8. Way to go Karen! Woo! Hoo! Love the weight loss wednesday post – a great way to keep me accountable. Thank you for the great Biblical lesson today from a wishy washy king!

    I do facebook – so that would be a great way to keep in touch – but I’m also fine with logging on here every Wednesday too.

  9. Thank you for weight loss wednesdays. I am definitely benefitting from the posts! I don’t have anyone to be accountable to so this is sort of my accountability meeting. I would join in on fb as well!

  10. I’m new here too, via the Made to Crave route. Enjoying your comments and encouragement.

    I’m with Dee on the Facebook thing…I prefer not to post for all of those connected with me to see so I would not comment or join there. This is a much safer and more encouraging place for me.

  11. I love Weight Loss Wednesday, and would definitely participate in a Facebook group. My goal right now is 40 by 40- lose 40 lbs. by my 40th birthday.

  12. Well done Karen!!

    I did not have a good eating week, due to post-earthquake stress eating. Have started back to healthier eating today and trying to keep on track, I just need to remember all the things that I have learned and know for next time.

    Hopefully this coming week will be better. xo

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